


all the tender sweetness (of a seasick crocodile)

by pretendimstraight



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: (oh my god that was already a tag), Dialogue Heavy, Feel-good, Fluff, Grinch References, M/M, good billy&max relationship!!, it's also kinda goofy so, oh my god this is actually really fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 10:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17140094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretendimstraight/pseuds/pretendimstraight
Summary: Who would have thought that a dolphin could resolve a year's worth of emotional constipation between two dumb boys?(+Max doesn't know what "No" means, Billy doesn't know how to make decisions based on what he wants, Steve talks a lot when he's nervous.)





	all the tender sweetness (of a seasick crocodile)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Delphineygt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delphineygt/gifts).



> HI Y'ALL  
> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!! 
> 
> writing this was the closest i have ever come to fighting god 1v1 with my fists alone, but HERE IT IS
> 
> and to delphine: i really hope you enjoy this, love!

He shouldn’t even be looking at her. Eyes on the road, Hargrove. Just drive her home from the arcade. It’s their winter break, which means a whole two weeks home alone to ignore Maxine while Neil and Susan go off on a business trip. He can handle it. Max is nothing but an annoying teenage girl, and he’s used to dealing with those every other day of the week.

He has handled much worse than her before. He can handle this.

“Billiam, you bitch! Are you even listening to me?”

He can’t handle this for much longer.

“First off, I’ve told you, countless fucking times, not to call me Billiam  _and_  not to call me bitch, so watch it,” He whipped his head over to look at her as his foot pushed down a bit harder on the gas. The faster he gets her out of his car, the faster he can relax.

“Secondly, haven’t you heard? No means no.”

Max rolled her eyes at him but sat up a bit straighter, looking off out the window instead of shooting him looks. He watched as she crossed her arms and shook his head, letting his hold on the wheel loosen a bit as he drove as fast as he could on icy roads towards their house.

Neil should be gone by now so slowing down isn’t necessary today.

“This isn’t a consent thing, Billy, I just want to go out to the Tree Ceremony with my friends! Steve’s gonna be there so it’s not like I’m going to be in any danger,” Her voice was quieter this time around, trying out a more peaceful route to try and convince him, “You can even come along! There’s gonna be a party at Steve’s house beforehand, just for friends.”

“Since when have you considered Harrington one of your friends?” Billy huffed, making sure to stare ahead and not look at his step-sibling.

He could feel her eyes on the side of his face, her stare as prying and scalding as it always was, but he didn’t budge. He couldn’t dare budge when the kid was already smart enough to even look at him like that in the first place.

“I dunno, maybe since you scarred him for life too.”

“Well now, that’s a little dram—”

“Remember that, Billy? It was like a year ago maybe. They say shared trauma builds relationships and all that fun shit,” the venomous edge leaking into her voice was too familiar and it made him almost want to look her way, but that would be stupid.

His eyes would give way too much away if she got even one measly glance into them.

“I apologized already, okay? I apologized to both of your sorry little asses—”

“Isn’t he taller than you?”

“Fuck you, by like an inch, so it doesn’t fucking count!” Billy shouted, turning to glare at her as he pulled into their driveway, “and that’s not the point!”

“Yeah, I get it; the point is, you and Stevie are all buddy-buddy now ‘cause you said sorry and probably kissed his ass like that one freckled kid did,” Max said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she unbuckled her seatbelt, “Now y’all hang out all the time and are real good pals, huh?”

Billy mentally talked himself through a few deep breaths before acknowledging her words, reaching slowly to unbuckle himself as well, “Get to the point, Maxine.”

She smirked at him like all her wild theories and thoughts were just confirmed before her eyes. Billy fought the urge to slam her head through the window and fought to keep the worried, deer-in-the-headlights look that wanted to worm its way across his features. She knew. He knew that she knew what he was hiding these last few months to some degree, but it’s never been so close to being blurted out.

He’s not sure he wants the words floating out in the existence yet, not sure if he’ll ever really want that.

She leaned closer to him, and Billy subconsciously savored and despised the flash of anxiousness in her eyes as she got closer to him. “Imagine it, Billy.”

“Imagine what?”

“Billy.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re getting at—”

“Imagine what good friends you could be, Billy,” she cooed, quiet and all too purposeful as her words filled the inches between them.

“I’m fine with whatever friendship me and Harrington have at the moment, thank you very much,” Billy lied through his teeth, knowing how believable it sounded due to how many times he’s had to tell himself those same words, “You should learn to mind your business, Max, before you get yourself in trouble.

Her head tilted to the side, making her almost look like the small and innocent child everyone else saw her as, if not for the piercing eye contact she was practically forcing the two of them to uphold.

“But are you really fine with it, Billy?”

“Maxine—”

“I don’t think you are, ‘cause guys who are fine with the friendship they have don’t rehearse handing over a pack of cigarettes and talk to themselves in the bathroom for twenty minutes in the middle of the night, do they?”

Billy sighed and rolled his eyes as an excuse to look away. His heart was running a mile a minute and he was starting to think that she could hear it.

“Stop talking.”

“And those guys definitely don’t spend extra money on a new type of perfume after their buddy mentions they like it.”

“It’s cologne.”

“That’s not really the point, now is it?”

Billy shoved her back towards her seat with a huff, “You really need to shut the hell up.”

 “You’re so dumb, I swear,” Max laughed, shaking her head at him and turning to get out of the car, “Sometimes, I forget that you’re such a boy.”

She was out of the car before Billy could think to do anything better than scoff.

That was almost a compliment, as close to one as Max usually comes to giving him. It was probably supposed to push his buttons a little bit more, but he couldn’t help but feel something akin to appreciation that Max thought better of him than other ‘boys’ she knows.

Who gives a fuck if the other boys are probably thirteen and still going through puberty; Max usually thinks Billy’s better than them!

He cracked a small smile as he watched her make her way inside the house and took a moment to really think about what he was going to do with his break.

Neil had given him some pretty stern directions about how to go along with Christmas to make sure that Max continued ‘believing in Santa’ and it was all pretty ridiculous. First of all, if keeping Max’s youthful ignorance alive was so important to him, he should have just told his company that a trip during over Christmas wasn’t an option, or at least, had the decency not to steal Susan away from her daughter for the holiday. Not that Susan was really complaining, she had packed and left just as Max had come home from school yesterday.

His train of thought as he made his way out of the car and into his house, going through the motions he’s gotten so used to until he ended up in his room.

Even now, when his dad wasn’t even in the same town as him, Billy still found himself listening for the telltale signs that trouble was heading his way; the deep sighs, jingling keys and creaky floorboards he’s learned to notice along the way. There was nothing, his house relatively quiet except for some mumbling coming from Max’s room.

He pressed an ear to the wall that separated their rooms, listening in to make sure no one had snuck in without him knowing.

“It’s still negative on my end, guys, sorry.”

He could hear the static of her walkie-talkie after she finished, and he shook his head. Max and her friends were ridiculous.

“Hey! Hey- no, Max, It’s okay! We still have our secret weapon!”

“Yeah, Mad Max! Our secret weapon is sure to turn that Negative into a positive faster than you can say—”

“Yeah, sure, okay guys. Whatever you say, but like, I’m starving so I’ll talk to you losers later!”

Billy leaned away from the wall with a sigh, irritated by the fact that Max still wasn’t taking him seriously. Even if Billy wanted to waste his time at some lame, hick Christmas party, risking the chance of his father finding out that he went to some random boy’s house with her on Christmas Eve, he’s dead.

Then again, how would Neil even find out?

It’s not like anyone at that party would be having conversations with Neil anytime soon, and they all have to know by now that his dad is the fucking worst.

Whatever. There’s still not enough reason to risk it.

 

\---

 

_“Ah- fuck! Billy!”_

_“You’re so big, baby… fill me up so good.”_

_“Oh God! Billybillybill—"_

Billy’s eyes shot open as his door was pushed open.

Max was standing there, toothbrush in hand and hair in a lion’s mane around her head. Did she have curlers in when he saw her last night?

She scanned her eyes down his body on the bed, shaking her head like she was disappointed in what she saw. He had half a mind to remind her that she wasn’t exactly picture-ready at the moment either, but instead, he just rubbed his eyes and groaned. “What’s with the wake-up call, kid? This is my winter break too, y’know. I shouldn’t have to wake up early.”

“It’s like three in the afternoon, dumbass,” she said, bringing the toothbrush back up to her mouth with a roll of her eyes. “Someone’s at the door,”

“Cool, then why don’t you go see who it is?” he muttered, stretching his arms out over his head.

She gasped, and Billy glared at the frothy bits of toothpaste that fell to his floor. “I am a child, Billy! I can’t check the door. What if it was a kidnapper?”

“Then they’d have to be the one to deal with you,” he grumbled as he got out of bed and made his way to the front door as a round of knocks echoed through the house.

Max elbowed him as he passed her, muttering “I heard that, asshole,” before making her way towards the bathroom.

Billy had no clue who’d come to his house at this point, especially someone who would knock like that.

If it were one of the dipshits, they’d know that Neil and Susan left so they’d be shouting for Max. Or, they’d just go straight to knocking on her window like a couple of creeps. If it were one of Neil’s friends, the knocks would be louder, more obnoxious, but if it were one of Susan’s then the knocks would be more quiet, gentler than the steady taps against the wood of their front door. It was probably just some postman that needed a signature. One quick scribble and he could go back to sleeping his day away.

Another loud knock just as he got to the door made him groan out “One sec!” before swinging the door open fast, almost getting an armful of whoever was standing there.

“Shit, man! Sorry! Wasn’t expecting it to open that—”

“What the- Harrington?” Billy practically screeched, chest burning where Steve had grabbed him to steady himself.

Steve chuckled and took a step back, taking his hands off of Billy and patting his shoulder awkwardly as he cleared his throat.

“Ah, yeah, hey Billy,” He mumbled, nose and cheeks rosy and doe eyes sparkling.

Steve had a scarf on, handmade and positively screaming ‘Made by Claudia Henderson’. He had no hat on, so there were snowflakes slowly dropping against the chestnut locks. His jeans almost seemed tighter than usual, but that really could just be wishful thinking on Billy’s part, and he was wearing a tan sweater that made him look warmer than he probably felt. He looked like the definition of “cozy” and Billy wanted so badly just to make himself comfortable fitted against him.

“Or should I say good morning to you, instead?” Steve said with a chuckle that made Billy’s own cheeks warm up a bit.

He took a minute to thank whatever God exists that he thought to put on boxers to go to bed instead of briefs last night.

“It’s winter break for me, Harrington. No school, no early mornings,” Billy said with a shrug, standing tall and solid like the winter breezes slipping in weren’t raising goosebumps all over his body, “Not that you’d understand the life of a high schooler, huh old man?”

“Hey! I graduated last year, not last decade, remember? Or is this one of those blonde moments I’ve heard about?”

Steve’s soft, saccharine sounding laugh coated his words and made Billy almost stumble over nothing, standing perfectly still and feeling tripped up by the man in front of him.

“Yeah sure, let’s go with that, pal,” He said, rolling his eyes but unable to keep a smile off his face, “So, what brings King Steve to my humble shack?”

Steve shook his head, muttering about that nickname still sticking around. As if Billy was going to let go of that one for as long as they both shall live.

“I’m here to pick up Max actually. Me and the boys were just gonna head back and start setting up for a party back at my place before the tree ceremony tonight.”

“Shouldn’t you have set up for that, like, yesterday?” Billy asked, stalling to keep Steve’s attention on him for as long as possible.

“Yeah, well I mean,” Steve started rubbing his hands together to warm them up and Billy fought the urge to invite him in, “I get that seasonal depression bullshit or whatever, didn’t feel like doing anything yesterday.”

“Sure, whatever you say, pal,” Billy said like he knew whatever the hell seasonal depression was.

“Do you wanna, like… Maybe—” Steve started to ask, ducking his head and staring at his feet like he was nervous or something, when a car horn cut through the peaceful atmosphere between them.

Steve turned on his heel and lifted his fist in the direction of his car, “I SAID GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES, SHITHEADS! MAX ISN’T EVEN OUT HERE YET, CALM THE FUCK DOWN!”

Billy laughed under his breath and let out a low whistle, “I thought you were supposed to be the nice one, pretty boy. Such foul language you use towards those poor kids!”

“If I’m the nice one, does that make you naughty, Hargrove?” Steve’s voice dropped a little lower as he peeked over his shoulder at Billy, eyes teasing.

It’s that stupid tone that has Billy’s words caught in his throat.

Too close to flirting. Never close enough.

He cleared his throat, soft words swallowed down so that a witty retort could come out instead. Playing it safe, “Oh Stevie, I’ve always been the naughty one in this relationship.”

“Relationsh—”

Not safe enough, apparently.

“FRIENDSHIP!” Billy said, slapping a hand against the door to make Steve jump and cover up how loud his voice got, “Friendships are a type of relationship. Don’t you know that, dumbass?”

Steve cleared his throat and turned back around face seeming redder than it had been before, but that was just because he turned to face to cold for a bit. Probably. That had to be it.

He wouldn’t meet Billy’s eye and it stung worse than the chill pressing against his eyes.

“I’ll just,” Billy shrugged again, turning to look into his house, “I’ll get Max for you.”

“No need, I’m here!” she said, suddenly appearing next to Billy.

The little shit was probably listening that whole time.

“Whatever, see you later, kid,” Billy ruffled her hair, taking notice of how stiff it felt, “Did you do your h—”

“Bye Billy!” Max cut him off, speeding off towards Steve’s car.

Billy leaned to watch her get into the car safely, not slipping on any ice even once. He could hear the boys’ voices pick up as she opened the car door, excited and calling her name like they haven’t seen each other in weeks. They sounded happy.

“Do you wanna come to my party?” Steve said, fast like he had to blurt it out.

The question itself was simple, deserving of a simple answer, yes or no. He either wanted to go or he didn’t, and he should be able to tell Steve that much. Instead of going with the simple route, Billy’s brain decided to short out upon hearing the question and now he’s left grasping at straws about what he wants compared to what he should do. Sure, he wanted to hand out with Harrington all night while the energy around them was happy and good. Maybe they could even spike some eggnog or end up stuck under the mistletoe together, that would make this the best Christmas he’s ever had.

But what if?

Too many what-ifs to consider, and they leave him speechless.

“I mean, you totally don’t have to! It’s probably gonna be kinda lame but if you got bored later, maybe, you could show up for a bit?” Steve rambled, rubbing the back of his neck and taking a step back towards his own car, “There’s no pressure, of course!”

He was going to leave.

Billy was losing him.

Shit.

“Hey, uh, let me just check my schedule,” Billy moved his hands around to keep Steve’s attention, putting them together like the covers of a book.

“Three thirty, compliment self in the mirror for at least an hour. Four thirty, shout my issues into the void. Five o'clock, solve world hunger; tell no one. Five thirty, jazzercise. Six thirty, dinner with me. I can't cancel that again! Seven o'clock, masturbate until I pass out—”

Steve’s laugh cut him off, and he couldn’t fight the smirk stretching across his face.

“Well, I guess you’re pretty booked, huh?”

“Sure seems that way, but I’ll try real hard to squeeze you in, alright Harrington?”

Steve’s eyes were sparkling, smile wide and Billy’s heart felt like it was being pulled in a million different directions. There was a snowflake melting on his cheek, and before he could stop himself, Billy was reaching out to wipe it off. When Steve’s hand shot up to grab his wrist, Billy couldn’t help but tense up, thumb still lightly pressing into the skin.

He could feel the cold against him, but none of it mattered anymore; he was warmed up just by being around Steve, touching the warm pink of his face was just a bonus.

“Just in case, can I give you your gift now?” Steve whispered, staring into Billy’s eyes like he was trying to tell him a story through the eye contact, innumerable sonnets written into every line in the milk chocolate of his irises.

Unable to find the right words to say, Billy just nodded, fighting to keep the lovestruck, deer-in-the-headlights look off of his face.

Steve cleared his throat, dropping his hand to dig around in his pockets.

Billy took a step back and Steve took a step forward, crossing the threshold so now he was inside, physically stepping through the wall between them, just like he had done emotionally so many months ago.

“I was trying to find a gift for you for, like, weeks. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to shop for you?” Steve mumbled, moving his hand to look in his jean pockets now.

When Billy opened his mouth to answer, Steve continued as though he had never stopped.

“A few weeks and I had no clue what to get, no fuckin’ idea. I found a bunch of shit that could work, but I didn’t want that. I wanted everything to be perfect, and I wanted to find the perfect gift for you, and I couldn’t. You deserved perf- Anyway, I looked and looked and then I had to have this existential crisis where I realized that I have no idea what perfect is. It’s such a bullshit standard to hold things to in the first place, and—”

“Steve.”

Billy could see him working himself up into some sort of rant, patting himself down roughly all over. He stepped closer to him, trying to offer some semblance of comfort but Steve just sighed and pulled something out of his pocket that Billy couldn’t see yet.

“Sorry, uh,” Steve grabbed Billy’s hand, turning it so that it was palm up and he placed his hand over it, handing over the gift, “Merry Christmas, Billy Hargrove.”

He pulled his hand away so that Billy could look at it, and look at it, he did.

It was a keychain. A keychain with a cute little dolphin on it. It was smooth, and light blue and obviously based off of a cartoon. There was a little button on the things stomach, and Billy couldn’t stop staring at it. It’s not what he was expecting, not at all.

It was adorable.

“I know-“ Steve was wringing his hands together again, bouncing his glance between the dolphin and Billy’s face.

“It’s not a new tape for your car, or a cool looking Zippo or anything, but like… You’ve mentioned missing the ocean the last few times we got high together. I dunno if you remember that, but you told me that it was the biggest thing that you missed from Cali. I remember asking you about the ocean animals and stuff, ‘cause I’m just a dumb hick and I only know about weird animals in the woods, and you told me that dolphins were super bitchin’, so I thought that you might like it.”

Billy let himself press the button as he feels his eyes start to water. A quiet, shitty imitation of a dolphin’s call played, and a wet laugh found it’s way out of his mouth. He presses the button again as he feels a tear make it’s way down his cheek.

Steve whispered his name, and he smiled up at him, tears be damned.

“You got me a present,” Billy said, voice hoarse but smile wider than he ever allows it to get around others

“Of course, I did.”

Steve’s voice was still quiet, the tips of his ears were bright red, and Billy was so, so in love with everything about him.

“It’s perfect,” Billy gripped the dolphin tight in his hand, getting so close to Steve that he could feel ever exhale against his face.

“You really think so?” Steve asked, hands moving to hover over Billy’s hips, unsure if he was allowed to touch.

“I know so,” Billy laced his arms around Steve’s neck and leaned in, inhibition thrown into the winter breeze winding through his house, “Merry Christmas, Steve Harrington.”

He closed his eyes as he closed the distance between their mouths, Steve’s arms finally winding around his waist and Billy was on cloud nine. Steve tasted like eggnog and a hint of tobacco, and he was kissing back like he didn’t care about the morning breath that Billy was sure he had.

Steve smiled against his mouth and his eyelashes ghosted too close to his face and it made him laugh into the kiss as they broke apart, still holding onto each other like they never wanted to let go.

“Maybe…” Steve whispered, leaning in to kiss the tip of Billy’s nose.

“Yeah, Steve?”

“Maybe, you could put me into your schedule instead of that masturbation time.”

Billy laughed, glancing over Steve’s shoulder and catching Max’s eye through the window of Steve’s car. She shot him a thumbs up and if he listened close he could hear the faint sound of whistles and hollers from that direction.

“Screw the schedule. You can have all my time, pretty boy.”

**Author's Note:**

> AHHHHHH HI GUYS I'M GLAD YOU MADE IT!
> 
> so this was originally going to be a full-fledged "Billy is basically the Grinch" kinda thing, and maybe someday i will come back and make this into that, but i went through hell and back just to get this to be something i was proud enough of to share with the public so,, Here we are!
> 
> as usual, i'm @pretendimstraight over on tumblr too (not that i've actually posted much recently, oops!) and you all should also follow @delphineygt over there as well because she is AMAZINGLY TALENTED and honestly one of the sweetest people i've ever talked to!
> 
> Happy Holidays, ya filthy animals!!


End file.
